On December 1st, I set out to accomplish something that I had never come close to before. I set a goal to complete a 30-day juice fast. On December 31st I started eating food that I could chew again. It was a phenomenal journey. And I got it done. That ROCKS, if I do say so myself. Was it easy? Nope. Was it worth it? In the big picture, I have to say yes, but for a reason that is far different than I thought it would be.

The first day was one of my hardest. By that evening I had a headache the size of South America and I literally felt like I had been hit by a truck. The next few days were a process of feeling normal again. By day 2, the spasm in my body went haywire. I was so stiff that I resembled the Tin Man before he saw the Wizard. Then, for a few days after that, I felt okay. Kind of hit a rhythm for awhile. Two or three juices per day. I never mixed fruits and vegetables. Always made sure I had more veggie juices than fruit. And adding spinach as an ingredient became a priority, because of all the good stuff in it. I started adding different spices to my juices to make them more interesting.

And then I hit a wall.

On day 11, I just about caved. I was feeling awful and decided that I did not want to do this anymore. Since I felt like dog meat, I did not want the whole fast to be counterproductive and had decided I was okay with quitting while I was ahead. So, I texted a caregiver and said I needed to get some groceries during the next shift he worked. I explained over text everything that was going on in my head and why I wanted to start eating again.

When I started my fast, I was very careful about who I told that I was doing it. I did not want well-meaning friends and family to be concerned that I wasn’t getting enough protein or nutrition, and I made promises to the people I did tell that I would go to my doctor if I felt the need to do so. I also told my caregivers, so that they could help me make juices. Add to that the fact that my juicer happens to be a nightmare for me to take apart and clean by myself.

So, when I told this caregiver I wanted to quit, I wasn’t expecting him to protest. But he did. And I was lucky. All of my other caregivers did as well. All of them have a healthy lifestyle in terms of diet and exercise. They pointed out that my body was confused at that point because it was used to my feeding it all kinds of crap. It was still in the process of getting rid of the bad stuff, and I should allow that process to continue. Plus, if I accomplished this goal, it would be much easier to set and meet goals that I set for myself in the future. They all reasoned with me, and they all wanted to be supportive in my continuing what I set out to do. I just dug deeper.

Game on! At that point it became personal. I. Would. Finish. No matter what. After day 15 it became easier psychologically. After the halfway point, I kept telling myself that I had completed more days than I had to go. I knew what I was doing. I could coast the rest of the way. Carrot-Tomato juice with a handful of spinach thrown in became a favorite. A standby and a classic. You can’t taste the spinach when you put it in juices or smoothies. It’s true.

So now the process is behind me, and yes, I lost some weight. In the 30 days of my juice fast I lost approximately 18.5 pounds. But weight loss was never my primary goal. I wanted to demolish bad eating habits with a wrecking ball and jump start my way to a more healthy lifestyle. Mission accomplished! I have more weight to lose but I am going to take my time with it. I want to be able to splurge occasionally without feeling guilty. But I am going to join a gym and start menu planning. I will eat at home much more than I used to, and I will make progress.

So bring on 2013. I am ready. Whatever goals I set out to accomplish from now on I will kick them in the tail, and never look back. And I can expect nothing but incredible results.

Because after what I accomplished in December 2012, now I know that is what is possible for me.